Musical instrument



Nov. 2, 1948. H. HORNE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT I Filed Dec. 12, 1944 INVENTOIIQ.

ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 2, 1948 STATES PATENT FICE 2,452,658 MUSICAL; INSTRUMENT Hal Horne, New York, N. Y.

Application December 12, 1944, Serial No.'567,8 34

Claims. '1

M inventi n l es t a ow d o d mus ca instr men -o 0. .1. o tho o i-sets of my nv n i to p vide im rovements in th musical instrument wh h is desc ibe in. S- a n 58 datodMa oh 3 .9 .2, r V

Ibo impr ves. ins rument ca be the so e in s ze share, 151, dim n ions as e in n which is described in said U. S. Patent No. 2 74 97, sa for, the imp v features o i herein.-

Ano he obieot of t nvention i to p i a i strumen n whiQh the two b dy memb are releasably connected to each other by res ent o snr name ns thus ma in it u n ce sa p ma e t y o onnect sa d ody m mb r b -a he ao by at andpressu Another object of my invention is to provide n. mpr dins umon wh h n com iso with the n tr ment dis osed in aid U. S- Pa ont 2% 97. n b p y d mor easily by an n x r enced, p aye e. improved instrum nt as u e r e nanc an its ton can .b s ly c t l ed b ma u ressure- Ot e objects a d. advantag s o my ve t o w l b stated h annexed de c ti n nd drawings which illustrate a preferred eimbodi: moat bereoi- Eia .l s a top plan ew o the mprove n: strurnen Par o the rep esentat o houpoa shell or body-member being omitted.

Fi i a iroe elevation of the imP in trument-- Fi 3 is a sect onal view o hene 3:3 i i l showing bo hsholls orbodwmombem F i is a s tional iew the e l f Fig. 1.

The drawings a substantial y to sca e, and eferenc s a-de thereto for any ea ures which ar not specifically describ d- Tho i ustrat ve ty e of the mproved in trumee Wl'l Qh is diso osed he e n, h espe t e he ls o od -me ers, I and 1 -v T os b y ers I and? can bomadoo any-siii abl ma either metallic or non-metallic. Said body members I and 2 are preferably resilient and resonant. They can be made of polystyrene resin oroolluloscec ta ao oi-.-anyt rsuitablem able material, resinous or non-resinous. Polystyrene resin is made by polymerizing styrene or vinyl benzene. These body-members I and 2 are preferably identical, save where they have interfittingln'gs and recesses.

The major portion of each shell or body-memthe inner edgeswall ber I and 2 is of concave-convex -contour. Each said shell is provided with a respective rim or edger-portion Ft, which is of planar. shape. At and adjacent to the mouth-l-port-io'n or inleteopenr ingof the instrument, each shell is provided with a laterally enlarged flange 3. Each said flange 5 extends laterally beyond its respective rim R. Said flanges '3. have abutting faces which are planar. At its inletaport-ion, each shell is reintorced by an external rib or boss 4 which has shown in Fig. 2. Each said rib 4 has respective side edges which are coincident with the side edges of flanges Eachsaid external rib 4 is provided with an external lug 1 0.

The portion 1 of each said inner edge-wall is provided with a recess Illa. A blade spring S detachably connects the shells I and 2 to each other. The spring S is made of resilient --metal or other resilient material. Said spring S comprises outer legs II and I2, which have respective hook-ends l4 and I 5, which fit in the respective recesses Illa, These hook-ends I l and I5 Qn fige the inner end-walls of recesses Illa. Said spring S also has internal legs which form a loop I6, of general U-shaped configuration. These internal legs are connected to the external legs by means of respective transverse spring-portions I1 and I8.

The spring S presses the shells I and 2 towards each other, so that said spring S holds the two shells I and 2 in abutting contact, at their respective flanges 3 and ribs. 4 and also at their rims R. Said spring S may be the sole means for keeping the shells I and 2 in assembled relan- I de e th .shel1 s may be p ovided with in orfi tins re sses and u s r pr j tions in their flan es. adjac nt the inlet openin of the dev c ne o said lussor proj ctions l9.1.s shown n ig. 4., Th v or espondin re ess s or epres sions 72.0 and 2| are sh wn n F g. lhe sh ls l and 2 are not fixed tqaeach. other by lugs I9 and recesses 29 and ZI.

Th inle op nin o th d ce is cat d b ween th p ints Wi iQh ar Qi n 4 d in Fi l; by the reference numerals 22 and 23.

The normal shape of' spring S is shown in Fig. 3.

The external legs II and I2 fit in recesses Illb of the lugs I0. Hence the spring S is held against shifting relative to-the shells I and -2, and the optional lugs I9 and their recesses 20 and 2l, hold. the shells I and 2 against relative lateral shifting.

The spring S is sufficiently bendable so that it can be separated from the shells I and 2, thus permitting the ready separation of the shells l and 2, and also permitting the replacement of one of the shells.

The spring S thus makes it unnecessary to connect the shells l and 2 to each other by adhesive or by means of heat and pressure. it also provides superior resonant effects, because the shells can vibrate transversely relative to'each other,

throughout the entire bodies of said shells, where: as in the former device, it was necessary to connect the flanges 3 to each other by means of adhesive or by means of heat and pressure. The main transverse vibration or resonance of the resilient shells l and 2 is behind the ribs 4, with little or no resonance at ribs 4 and flanges 3.

Each edge-wall portion 9 is located substantially coincident with the rear end of a respective flange 3.

It will be noted that the shells l and 2 are wholly imperforate, thus providing an air column within said shells which vibrates when the instrument is played. When the instrument is played, .the shells can vibrate slightly apart from each other throughout their entire edges behind. the flanges 3, because the sole restraint is that of the spring S, which is located at the median portion of the inlet opening. Hence, the. air column within the device remains substantially closed behind the inlet opening, because the separation of the shells,-behind flanges 3, is relatively slight. The shells can also vibrate transversely relativeto each other, at flanges 3, up to the'inlet opening, becausesaid flanges 3 are not fixed to each other. The legs of said spring S are alignedwith the respective diameter of the device, said diameter being indicated by the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. j By exerting more or less manual transverse or lateral pressure upon the shells while the instrument is played, superior modifying effects of the sound can be produced; since the shells are free to move transversely relative to each other at all parts of said shells.

The invention is not limited to two identical shells, which are identical in self-vibration or resonance. One of the shells may be thicker and less vibrant than the other shell. may be so thick that it is substantially nonvibrant. The shells may have any shape. The device may have internal parts and other additions to the simple illustrative embodiment disclosed herein. r Hence, when I specify that the wall of .the casing instrument is vibrant, all of said wall or apart thereof, may be vibrant. Said casing is preferably. wholly closed behind its inlet opening,

ient optional means for connecting the external legs I! and I2 to each other.

One shell when the parts of the casing are in the normal.

inactive p'ositionwhich is shown in Fig. 3, but the invention is'not limited thereto. I prefer that the shells l and 2, which form the wall of the casing, should be imperforate or substantially imperforate. The spring S acts'to limit the relative transverse vibration of the shells, at the inlet opening. 1 i Ihave shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is clear that numerous changes and omissions can be ;made without departing from its scope.

v For example, the shells may be vibrant to any desired degree, up to the inlet opening. That is, the thickener reinforcedfconstruction of the shells, at the ribs 4 is optional. Hence, the 131 2 I'claim:

1. A musical instrument which comprises a casing which has an inlet opening, the wall of said casing comprising a plurality of assembled shells, said wall being vibrant, a blade spring removably located at said inlet opening, said sprin having external legs which are external to the interior space of said casing, said spring having internal legs which are located in said interior space, said spring having transverse legs which obstruct a part of said inlet opening, said external legs resiliently biasing said shells against each other, said shells being separable from each other, said blade-spring being the sole means to hold said shells in assembled relation.

2. A musical instrument according to claim 1, inwhich said external legs are external to the outer faces of said shells, said external legs having hook-ends which engage respective outer wallportions of said shells.

3. A musical instrument which comprises a casing which has an inlet opening, the wall of said casing being vibrant and comprising a plurality of assembled shells which are separable from each. other, said shells having abutting edge-portions, blade spring means located at said inlet opening and biasing said edge-portions against each other, said blade spring means being the sole means to hold said shells in assembled relation, said blade spring means and the external walls of said shells being shaped to interfit so as to prevent any lateral shift between said shells and said blade spring means.

4. A musical instrument according to claim 3, in which said shells are substantially imperforate, and said wall is normally closed behind said inlet opening,

5'. A musical instrument which comprises a casing which has an inlet opening, the wall of said casing being vibrant and comprising a plurality of assembled'shells which are connected to each other in normal position in which said wall is normally substantially closed behind said inlet opening, a bladespring which has biasing legs which are external to said casing, said biasing legs abutting the external faces of said shells and biasing said shells against each other, said blade spring being the sole means to hold said shells in'assembled relation, saidbiasing legs being connected to each other at said inlet opening.

I-IAL HORNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Plumber Name Date 194,119 Arpisella s Aug. 14, 1877 2,259,505 -Wisd0i n Oct. 21, 1941 

